To search for a Group Policy object

In the console tree, double-click the forest containing the domain that you want to search for a Group Policy object (GPO), double-click Domains, right-click the domain, and then click Search.

In the Search for Group Policy Objects dialog box, in the Search for GPOs in this domain box, select a domain or All domains shown in this forest.

In the Search item box, select the type of object on which you want to base your search.

If you select Security Group, the Select User, Computer, or Group dialog box appears. Specify the appropriate object type, location of the object, and object name, and then click OK.

You can choose GPO-links on the Search item dropdown menu to find unlinked GPOs and GPOs linked across domains.

In the Condition box, select the condition that you want to use in the search.

In the Value box, select or specify the value that you want to use to filter the search, and then click Add.

Repeat steps 4 through 6 until you complete the definition of all search criteria, and then click Search.

The search is based on the intersection of the criteria specified, so a GPO must meet all criteria specified for it to be returned in the results.

When search results are returned, do one of the following:

To save the search results, click Save results and then, in the Save GPO Search Results dialog box, specify the file name for the saved results, and then click Save.

To navigate to a GPO found in the search, double-click the GPO in the search results list.

To clear the search results, click Clear.

Repeat steps 3 through 8 until you have completed all required searches, and then click Close.

Notes

You can also open the search dialog box by by right-clicking a forest and then clicking Search. In this case, the Search for GPOs in this domain box defaults to All domains shown in this forest.

If a setting is enabled, and then all the settings in that extension are removed, there can be false-positive search for certain types of settings. This happens because the GPO has the extension listed as active. The extensions with this behavior are Security Settings, Software Installation, Folder Redirection, Internet Explorer Maintenance, and Encrypting File System (EFS).

Information about functional differences

Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.